India building its own massive missile test vessel

[GURU DUTT]

But SLBM's reach is limited compared to land version right and I don't if the freighter will cost more than of a Nuke Sub

sir im no expert on this but all i can say is long range missiles on a frieghter are a bad idea ... ask it from some expert

 

[Gen Padmanabhan]

But SLBM's reach is limited compared to land version right and I don't if the freighter will cost more than of a Nuke Sub

And how you protect the freighter when Chinese SSN hunting all the sea based assets with Ballistic missile? How you protect these from AShM?

 

[$@rJen]

And how you protect the freighter when Chinese SSN hunting all the sea based assets with Ballistic missile? How you protect these from AShM?

Of course they'll not be left alone in open.. Might be some Ships or subs might guard them. but its a Stupid Question.. just needed to know if its possible

 

[Gen Padmanabhan]

Of course they'll not be left alone in open.. Might be some Ships or subs might guard them. but its a Stupid Question.. just needed to know if its possible

The SSBN always protected by 1-2 SSN from enemy SSN.

But now you bringing whole new dimension that also need protection from surface warships and AShM. For that it going to need a whole escort.

Why any navy invest in a project which is cost prohibitive and similar work can be done with SSBN with a high level of OPSEC, and thats only need 1-2 SSN as escort?

 

[knight11]

@GURU DUTT @PARIKRAMA


A Stupid Question

Is it possible to build few such a Ships to host Agni series ?? especially Agni V and VI

I see no reason, that it could not be build for the testing purpose, but surely economically costly, better option is to use a coral Island of Andaman and nicobar Island or western ocean.

Actually, the test ship should be a floating vessel with the legs that could be rested on the bottom of the sea, something like Oil Rigs.

 

[Raje amar]

I think this one will be used to launch heavy missiles like Agni 5 from ranges of 1000s KM away.

Sirji..... 1000 to 1500km is apogee...... Not distance or range of missile. It means the missile will be able to atten that height.
Sir such missiles carrying ships are called as Cruisers..... But most of the Cruisers carry cruz missiles. They don't put ballestic missiles on it. Though one can try....

 

[Guynextdoor2]

Sirji..... 1000 to 1500km is apogee...... Not distance or range of missile. It means the missile will be able to atten that height.
Sir such missiles carrying ships are called as Cruisers..... But most of the Cruisers carry cruz missiles. They don't put ballestic missiles on it. Though one can try....

This vessel is for test purposes. Launching a 5000 Km missile within Indian territory has problems.

 

[Rangila]

This is going to be a test platform. Missiles tested with dummy warheads. Safe environment.

 

[Raje amar]

This vessel is for test purposes. Launching a 5000 Km missile within Indian territory has problems.

For a ballestic missile the trajectory is fixed, parabolic.... The difference is the height the missiles atten and hence the re-entory speed... It's very difficult the mimic that.

 

[PARIKRAMA]

The freighter is for testing purposes. This is actually a step forward for Indian BMD testing and finetuning.We already know that with our present capabilities and with even acquisition of S400, our FCR radars and our response via SAMs can at best do help us track an IRBM ranged missile. We have been working on LRTR modifications (with Israel) and will surely upgrade the S400 FCRs to possibly S500 standards over time. Along with military satellites, this does provide us with first issue of detection

For our interceptor missiles (AAD HTK endo atmospheric /PAD proximity fuse detonated exo atmospheric and even modified Agni 1 (brainstorming going on as far as i am told) or PDV exo atmospheric, the actual testing for an exo atmospheric mid course or boost course interception requires an actual IRBM missile to be fired to see the actual test results and collect valuable data. At present we are feeding the data in a system to simulate more then actual interception for IRBMs. Whereas our plan was to do actual tests of IRBM class to lower ICBM class via later AD1 AD2 interception in Phase 2 BMD project. This Test vessel thus serves the purpose of transporting the test missile to Indian Oceanic region in Southern hemisphere or near equator for a target in bay of bengal or wheeler island type range and interception planned in a manner that if it fails also valuable data is collected via live testing and also no damage happens due to failed intercept.

Ideally we should have build such ships around 2010 itself and should have done at least interception live test with Agni 1 and Agni 2 and perhaps tried PDV with Agni 3 to see how the Phase 1 higher order versus Phase 2 lower strata missiles and intercept implies the leap of actual interceptors and capabilities plus challenges.

With time we need to see how a MIRV capable IRBMs behave in a real live data scenario versus our interceptors and get a shield upto 5k km range deployed live. May be later we may see K4 also used by subs launched for testing. Then only we can concentrate on 5-10k km range where i see instead of freighter perhaps a live firing of K series (K5) firing from a sub with dummy warhead used instead of this freighter. A5/A6 in freighter looks more difficult IMHO.


@sarjenprabhu
Bro, a flotilla with freighter for a A5/A6 is far easily trackable and will be taken out quickly or neutralised first. In fact a system hack can be counter productive if either the codes gets hacked (very difficult but a missile can be launched if the ship is hijacked and the command officer does use the cards and keys to authorise again partly as he will not have full system codes for launch authorisation ) or the missile gets hijacked/stolen.

The second strike deterrence requires a capability to strike with a overwhelming reply via mediums which are sea based, independently secure and most importantly difficult to track (via mobility, stealth and anti detection capability).

The ability of a lone wolf SSBN popping up to surface, opening 8 missile door hatches and plundering 8 K5s or 8x3 = 24 N tipped Nirbhays (when we successfully test Sub launched SLCM) is a much more fear evoking capability then having a big freighter and ships protecting moving all around under the eyes of satellite with abilities of AShM, torpedoes to even accurate bombing via air raids always running high (ala defcon 2/3 state always running with that flotilla).

 

[$@rJen]

Bro, a flotilla with freighter for a A5/A6 is far easily trackable and will be taken out quickly or neutralised first. In fact a system hack can be counter productive if either the codes gets hacked (very difficult but a missile can be launched if the ship is hijacked and the command officer does use the cards and keys to authorise again partly as he will not have full system codes for launch authorisation ) or the missile gets hijacked/stolen.

The second strike deterrence requires a capability to strike with a overwhelming reply via mediums which are sea based, independently secure and most importantly difficult to track (via mobility, stealth and anti detection capability).

The ability of a lone wolf SSBN popping up to surface, opening 8 missile door hatches and plundering 8 K5s or 8x3 = 24 N tipped Nirbhays (when we successfully test Sub launched SLCM) is a much more fear evoking capability then having a big freighter and ships protecting moving all around under the eyes of satellite with abilities of AShM, torpedoes to even accurate bombing via air raids always running high (ala defcon 2/3 state always running with that flotilla).

Wow... this is something what i wanted to hear... Thanks man.. rhat makes so much sense

 

[Bad Guy]

Good, if they can test BMD missiles on ships, they could mount it on Carriers to contain Chinese ASBMs.

Good, if they can test BMD missiles on ships, they could mount it on Carriers to contain Chinese ASBMs.

 

[egodoc222]

But SLBM's reach is limited compared to land version right and I don't if the freighter will cost more than of a Nuke Sub

I think Chinese have similar plans...they have largest commercial ship fleet!!

And how you protect the freighter when Chinese SSN hunting all the sea based assets with Ballistic missile? How you protect these from AShM?

These are freighters they provide disguise as being a commercial ship!!

 

[SR-91]

in short a heavy frieghter modified and converted into a giant missile launching and testing platform ....... not impressed till it has DSI enabelled fighter jets for security

DSI joke is still going well